Publieke samenvattingen SBIR oproep Ontwerp innovaties van lokale materialen voor de bouw, publieke ruimte en gezondheidssector Afrika fase 1

De ondernemers krijgen 5 maanden en een budget van maximaal € 50.000 per project om de haalbaarheid van de innovatie in het land van hun keuze te onderzoeken en een plan te schrijven voor een vervolgtraject.

Deze SBIR is gericht op het gebruik van lokale materialen voor de gebouwde omgeving en voor de publieke ruimte en infrastructuur en producten voor de gezondheidszorg. Het onderdeel gezondheidszorg gaat over medische producten die langer meegaan en duurzame alternatieven voor medische (wegwerp) producten. Voor de gebouwde omgeving gaat het om innovaties gemaakt van lokale materialen. Onder publieke ruimte en infrastructuur vallen ook projecten die zich richten op producten die de leefkwaliteit van de buitenruimte verbeteren en oplossingen voor geïntegreerde opslag van water en duurzame energie passen hieronder.

De 23 winnende ondernemers

Hieronder vind u de project beschrijvingen. Omdat dit internationale projecten zijn, zijn de samenvattingen in het Engels.

Searious Business B.V. - Moroccan Waste to Product

Searious Business wants to develop products that can be used in public spaces which are entirely made of locally recycled plastics. Their goal is to develop a sound business case to be picked up and scaled up by local entrepreneurs involved in the waste collection and manufacturing of products for the urban environment. They want to set up small-scale recycling units to convert plastic materials such as HDPE, PE and PP into street benches, fencing, poles, beams, shed, litter bins, latrines, and any other “public space products” depending on the local needs.

They will also focus on plastic collection and sorting, in order to secure the feedstock required in the products production. Having access to feedstock from the beginning of the project, is crucial to create a long-lasting and scalable business model.

GPBO B.V. - Fuse Kitchen @ the Trans Nzoia region, Western Kenya: Enabling local communities to turn plastic waste into building materials that meet local needs

Since 2018, the team behind The Great Plastic Bake Off (GPBO) has been developing and operating the mobile Fuse Kitchen that turns plastic waste into building materials (fit-for-purpose), to meet the needs of local communities around the world. “We believe that we can only tackle the plastic waste problem by building a valuable eco-system: worthless plastic waste from various sources (collection/sorting) is given a new life on site (transformation/building). By working together with partners in this eco-system, we show what is possible with plastic waste as a valuable raw material: so why dump it or burn it?”

Acacia Impact Innovation B.V. - Solar Soaker laundry innovation made from locally available materials to increase lifetime of textiles in primary healthcare, while improving hygiene

The innovation is a recycled plastic laundry device that uses the heat of the sun combined with enzymes in the detergent, to remove stains and dirt without a need for scrubbing by hand. They believe that this can be used in primary healthcare in low resource settings to expand the lifetime of hospital textiles, while reducing the time and effort spent on laundry, saving water and detergent, and improving hygiene. This project evaluates the feasibility of a large scale test with locally produced devices, to demonstrate that this is a cost-effective and more hygienic solution for laundry & linen management in low-resource healthcare settings in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana.

Blok Kats van Veen Architecten - Laminated bamboo for structural use (LBS) in the built environment sourced and produced in Uganda

This project will develop a structural element that can be used as a beam and column out of laminated bamboo grown in Uganda. The possibilities of the proper combination of a bio-based resin and treated laminated bamboo strips to produce engineered bamboo will be researched. Through an ecological production process they will introduce this new construction element on the building market as a replacement of (imported) steel, concrete and tropical wood. This provides a green solution for building houses, schools, offices which is maximally renewable and locally sourced. That can be as easily used as traditional timber. The positive effects of the growing of bamboo on the environment (capture of CO2, restore degraded lands, etc.) and social economics due to processing (jobs, gender equality, etc.) will be expanded by the use of bamboo beams as a building material for structural use.

NPSP B.V. - BiCoGha – Fully, in Ghana produced, bio- and waste-based composite building products, resulting in local, economic growth, a negative CO2 footprint and circular replacement of critical raw materials and hardwood products

In this project the economical, technical and organizational feasibility of applying Nabasco, a highly bio- and waste-based material, for roofing and façade panels will be investigated. The Nabasco panels can replace tropical hardwood and corrugated metal panels, because they are biological waste based, have a low environmental foot print, good fire and lifetime properties, low price and can be made in Ghana out of locally produced ingredients. The materials consists of a bio-based resin produced out of the waste of the local sugar cane industry, and fibers like jute or sisal which are also grown on a large scale in Ghana.

African Bamboo B.V. - Housing construction components from locally cultivated bamboo in Kenya

African Bamboo will research the feasibility of utilizing locally (Kenya) cultivated bamboo for the production of prefab housing based on modular construction components. The company developed bamboo-based panels suitable as modular building components (window- and doorframes, beams, roof rafters and wall panels). Due to African Bamboo manufacturing technology, significant decreases in energy consumption, waste production and by-product formation are obtained. Likewise, tons of CO2 emission are prevented with positive effects on Kenyan nature preservation. Besides, the Kenyan liveability is stimulated by creating permanent, full-time jobs for inhabitants and organic, more durable and cheaper houses.

Oskam V.O.F. - Design and innovate with locally available materials for economic and environmental impact in Africa

In the race to provide the enormous required number of new housing in Kenya, there is already a considerable interest in building sustainably, with local materials, especially Compressed Earth Blocks (CEB), but there are obstacles preventing this technique from fulfilling its potential. Oskam, LEVS, TNO and BuildX Studio, are developing a one-of-a-kind new CEB machine that will bridge the gap between low quality of hand presses and high price of high-end hydraulic machinery. In this way, CEB construction will become more widely accessible and transform from a marginalized rural technique into a valuable tool for development of affordable urban housing

Layco Medical Devices B.V . - Development of a vacuum extractor with local materials in Uganda

In line with SBIR goal Healthcare Products, Layco aims to develop a sustainable and affordable vacuum extraction system for obstructed births by using local recycled materials, targeted on Ugandan hospitals and health facilities. This allows Layco to make a positive impact on the environment (creating less waste products and re-use of waste plastics), the local economy (creating job opportunities and reducing healthcare costs) and on society (increasing the quality of care).

Polycare Research Technology GmbH & Co. KG - Material and Building Circularity through Deep Tech and Adaptive Architecture

The project is about a field pilot to prove a systematic transformation of the construction, and building industry: Locally sourced secondary raw and waste materials are turned into high-quality building blocks (material circularity) designed for reuse, repair and recycle (3R approach, building circularity).
The project follows clear major paradigm shifts:
a) Take Waste to Make: Integrating waste streams into the blocks
b) Design for Disassembly: Deconstruct instead of destruction, reuse through smart architecture
c) Business Models for Circularity: Promoting repair to extend the lifecycle of the components to the maximum and turning circularity into an economic advantage
Therefore this project focuses on R&D on the material side and architectural circularity through show-casing flexible building typologies. The project takes place in South Africa and Namibia.

MOZ Consulting - Upgrading traditionally constructed affordable housing in Mozambique with climate-smart solutions

With this project MOZ Consulting wants to upgrade traditionally constructed affordable housing in Mozambique with pioneering climate-smart solutions. If building solutions are not greened in Africa, the continent could contribute more than 50% to existing CO2 global emission levels by 2050. We will explore if industrial hemp can be introduced in Mozambique as a green and climate-resilient building material alternative. They will also research if smart design of energy and water (re)usage will result in lower utility bills for low-middle income residents (family incomes between 200-750 US$/month) enabling them to conserve natural resources that are increasingly becoming expensive and scarce in Mozambique.

SEMILLA Sanitation Hubs B.V. - Innovative two-step biogas filling system (bottled biogas)

The Circular Refugee Camps (CRC) consortium operates in Imvepi Refugee Settlement a biodigester producing biogas, compost, irrigation water, and trees for regreening. The approach is focused on providing affordable biogas for refugees and host communities, and so preventing mortality among young women and babies, by avoiding respiratory diseases. In this project, research is done on the bottling of biogas in small gas bottles via an innovative gas filling system, which enables the local production of gas bottles. This will facilitate the biogas distribution to local households and institutions.

Spaak Circular Solutions B.V. - Hydrogel Pads from Agricultural Residual Streams in Kenya

Cement production worldwide is responsible for >8% of CO2 emissions. Up to 30% of ordinary cement can be replaced with rice husk ash (RHA), resulting in higher grade cement. Replacing part of the cement lowers greenhouse gas emissions, supports the large cement needs for cities and locals alike and provides a local, bio-based solution for cost effective cement-based construction materials. The project is focused on delivering a feasibility study and an implementation program in which they want to partner with a local entrepreneur in Egypt and work with partners and the businesses in their network to engage in a RHA-cement business.

Easy Housing Concepts B.V. - Circular, Disaster-resilient and Affordable Homes for Refugees in Uganda

Uganda’s progressive open-door policy has made it Africa’s largest refugee host, housing 1.4 million refugees. Most of these people live in inadequate housing. In this proposed R&D project, Easy Housing, Ceford and Butterfly Works join forces to develop an Easy Home that is particularly tailored to the needs, expectations and financial capacities of refugees and host communities in the West Nile Region. Easy Housing offers a circular, biobased and affordable timber-based housing solution, aiming at tackling the housing deficit in African and Asian countries, while reducing the environmental impact of the construction industry. They substitute steel, cement and concrete with timber to reduce CO2 emissions and to contribute to sustainable forestry.

Taiko - Unibrick: local construction material from local plastic waste in Ghana

Many developing countries find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place: there is an enormous housing deficit, yet the materials, often imported, are very expensive and with debatable quality. Unibrick has found a way to use a widely available and very cheap material for a simple and reliable construction brick: plastic waste. When plastic waste (about 80-95% of the generated plastic is usable) is mixed with sand, the bricks become virtually indestructible and the constructions are easy to make, yet very reliable. Compared to new concrete, the reused plastic Unibricks have about 7x better CO2 balance.

Witteveen+Bos Raadgevende Ingenieurs B.V. - Printing sustainable affordable housing using local waste products in Ghana

3D concrete printing (3DCP) is an innovative construction method, building up structural components layer- by-layer. The technique shows many advantages: less material waste, a safer and faster construction process, less environmental hinder and more architectural freedom. The incorporation of local materials and the structural building design remains however an enormous challenge. Within this project, local waste materials and recycled aggregates will be investigated as printable materials to lower the environmental and economic impact of the traditional cementitious materials in Ghana. Based on the specifications of the local materials, a new design approach for an affordable house will be proposed.

Witteveen+Bos Raadgevende Ingenieurs B.V. - Plastic Bricks for Sustainable Construction in Ghana

The use of plastic bricks is not new, however the large scale implementation is lagging behind. Plastic bricks  are less expensive, but it is difficult the produce them in large quantities in the African setting. Witteveen+Bos, jointly with Nelplast and Rich van J engineering, want to change the current business model and develop a new consulting and construction service named: Locally Resourced Plastic Bricks for Sustainable Construction. They intend to provide their clients with the option of constructing their civil structures out of plastic bricks with a mobile production facility. Turning our future construction sites into a place of positive social and environmental impact!

NETICS B.V. - High performance fabric from water Hyacint

HYAMAT, unlocking the local value of the devastating water hyacinth for infrastructural works!  The HYAMAT is a high performance fabric from water hyacinth, as a circular alternative for plastic geosynthetics. Water hyacinth is an invasive water plant with dramatic effects: reduced fish availability, habitats for disease-carrying mosquitoes and clogged dams. Currently, water hyacinth is harvested on a small scale and used for low strength products: clothing and home fabrics. In this project the technical and economic feasibility for a HYAMAT production plant in South Africa is investigated. The plant produces water hyacinth fabric together with local partners for infrastructural use.

Nature Nomads BV - MAHALI POA Houses built with bricks from cow dung and natural fibres

MAHALI POA is a game changing housing concept for the affordable housing market in Kenya. M’POA (abbreviated) means ‘cool’ place in Swahili. M’POA blends exciting innovations with local materials into a unique house. The M’POA house is built with innovative ‘cowcrete’ waterproof and cementless bricks, with an IKEA style easy building system and decorated with 3D solar-chimney tiles that literally and figuratively make the M’POA house cool. POA.

HaskoningDHV Nederland B.V. - Reuse sediments from Weija reservoir in Ghana construction sector

Globally, reservoirs are generally left to absorb increasing pollution rates. These reservoirs often have societal function which is crucial in employment, drinking water delivery and biodiversity. Similarly, the Weija reservoir, awaits rehabilitation to sustainably deliver services to 2.5 million people in Accra East and West. There is a high demand for affordable raw materials in the construction industry which largely depends on expensive international inputs. In Europe, innovative technologies exist to re-use dredged sludge in construction materials. This project seeks to apply this technology in the Ghanaian context with a large upscaling potential nationwide.

Stichting Habitat for Humanity Nederland - Healthy Housing: Adapting In2Care EaveTubes© for rural housing in Malaria endemic regions in Kenya

Malaria is an important health and economic problem in Africa. Habitat for Humanity, through its Healthy Housing project, works with private sector and innovators for solutions to incorporate in rural houses in Kenya to reduce the burden of malaria. One of the solutions is In2Care® EaveTubes, a house improvement tool that increases ventilation and effectively attracts, blocks and kills mosquitoes. The proposed project will prepare market entry for In2Care EaveTubes in Kenya by developing, adapting and testing the feasibility of low-cost installation tooling from local materials, exploring best routes for local distribution, and initiating country registration of the product.

HaskoningDHV Nederland B.V. - Converting Faecal Sludge & Low Grade Plastic Waste To High-Value Briquettes In Naivasha, Kenya

In Naivasha, Kenya Royal HaskoningDHV will partner with Sanivation and WASTE NL to create a greener alternative to coal which currently fuels the cement industries. We will combine non-recyclable plastic waste with faecal sludge - waste products which are currently disposed of to landfill - and make PlaFec briquettes. Cement industries are currently responsible for 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions as they require high calorific fuels in high quantities. This project aims to create a greener fuel for these, while reducing the disposal of waste plastic to landfills.

Stichting One Army (Precious Plastic) - Recycled Plastic Brick Production facility in Lagos, Nigeria

Precious Plastic and GIVO Solutions would partner to create a recycled plastic brick production facility in Lagos, Nigeria. Plastic pollution is particularly visible in fast-growing cities like Lagos. Additionally, building materials are expensive and often imported from other countries. Our project intends to tackle these two problems by providing a use for plastic waste through a locally manufactured brick building product to replace expensive imported materials.